COMPENSATION FEARS FOR BACKDALE ‘UNFOUNDED’ SAY NATIONAL PARK CAMPAIGNERS

Fears that revoking the quarry permission covering Backdale and Longstone Edge would result in the opening of a 'Pandora's Box' of compensation claims from quarry owners in other National Parks were unfounded, Friends of the Peak District (FPD) and the Council for National Parks (CNP) claimed on the eve of the public inquiry into unauthorised limestone quarrying at Backdale.

The Friends, working with CNP, has produced evidence which showed that in over 50 cases of old mineral permissions in English National Parks, only three posed possible compensation claims – and all were in the Peak District.

Andy Tickle, Head of Planning and Campaigning for FPD, said that the potential environmental threats from most of these sites could usually be alleviated by National Park Authorities using existing legislation.

Backdale quarry, where the public inquiry starts at Calver Village Hall next Tuesday (Feb 13), was an "exceptional" case, said Andy. The Backdale public inquiry is crucial in determining how much limestone can be quarried. The outcome will be key in deciding how much the permission is worth and the cost of compensation.

Friends of the Peak met last week with the Minister for Rural Affairs, Barry Gardiner, to urge the Government to help the Peak District National Park Authority with a suitable compensation package which would halt the destruction of the Longstone Edge landscape.

Andy added: We believe the Government has a clear responsibility to stop National Park landscapes being destroyed by rogue quarrying. We have also suggested to the Minister that sufficient money exists in DEFRA's Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund to meet the likely costs of compensation.

Ruth Chambers, Acting Chief Executive at the CNP, said: Unauthorised quarrying in our finest landscapes is an issue of national importance and it needs addressing once and for all. The Government has solutions within its power and it should act now to avert further damage at Longstone Edge.

For further information, contact Roly Smith, FPD Communications Officer on 01629 812034 or Andy Tickle at Friends of the Peak on 0114 266 5822 or Ruth Chambers at CNP on 0207 924 4077 ext.222